Pharaoh Atem's Backstory
by Magmashift
Summary: I'm working on a YGO fanfic and for some reason, decided to build more character to the over-dramatic dreamboat, Yami. So, here's the reason. IDC if Oyaji isn't his father's name. Oyaji is Japanese for father, I believe. Enjoy. Shitsumei is Japanese for blindness. Shisen is Japanese for eyes. Charries listed are the same. If you disagree, I'm the author, your argument is invalid.


**It had been years ago, before he had even met Yugi; he was only a young teenager. He had been standing by his father, Oyaji as they walked through the village. He remembered how much he liked walking through the village with his father. A shop owner was yelling at a small child as he snatched a fruit from the child's hands.**

**"You have to pay for that!" He had shouted, putting the fruit back on the stand. The child had looking longingly at the fruit, but walked away. Atem had walked up to the fruit stand and took a fruit, putting a coin where the fruit had once been. The child, sitting in a shaded corner and wiping a tear from his eye, did not notice that Atem walked up to him. The tiny child jumped when his hand rested on his shoulder. The little boy's face brightened up when he saw Atem holding the fruit out for him to take. After the boy gobbled down the fruit, he hugged Atem gratefully. Oyaji had put his hand on his son's shoulder. He gave him a look that told him 'you will make a perfect pharaoh', though he said nothing. His father was usually the quiet type. Later that night, Atem had been awoken with a jolt. Slowly, he'd walked through the grand halls of the pyramid. Where had that sound come from? When he'd turned a corner, he saw a shapely, attractive woman with fiery red hair wrapped in a matching cloak. **

**Her hand was raised with a glowing white ball in it and to his horror, his father was on the ground, bruised to the bone, quivering on his knees. "That's it, pharaoh! Kneel before your superior!" She laughed, kicking him in the face. **

**"You're not superior to me; you're a monster!" His father had shouted. The woman snarled and picked him up by his hair. Her eyes seemed to glow red as well. He was thrown face-first to the ground. Oyaji's face showed weakness as the woman stepped on his back. Just as Oyaji spotted Atem hiding behind a wall, the woman did, too. "Atem, run!" His father shouted, his face looking more worried than weakened.**

**"No, stay, Atem. Let's talk. Here's a fun fact about your father," Atem felt his body tense up as she walked closer to him, the ball of light still in her hand, "Did you know that your father was a weak, spineless worm?" Without turning, she shot the ball of light at Oyaji, sending him flying across the room.**

**"Leave him alone!" Atem had shouted, tears starting to form in his eyes as he spotted his father's nearly unconscious body across the room. The woman laughed, picking Atem up and sneering in his face.**

**"And pick on someone my own size? What are you going to do? Spitball me to death?" Oyaji stood up, holding his arm. **

**"Leave my son alone, witch." He growled. Even though there wasn't a spot on him that wasn't bruised or damaged, Oyaji stood, determined to win. The woman's teeth were shown as an evil grin spread across her face and she tossed Atem into a wall, her thumb nail scratching his neck in the process. Oyaji grabbed a large rock, ready to bash her head in. Instead, the woman who seemed to have eyes on the back of her head smacked the rock out of his hand. Atem stood, ready to attack the woman, but his father shouted angrily, "Get out of here!" Feeling victorious, the woman raised her arm in the air and started up another light ball. She threw it at the ceiling and everything started to crumble. As Atem went to grab his father who was still weak, but the woman picked up the small boy like a piece of luggage and carried him out, leaving his father helpless. The room crumbled on top of Oyaji. **

**"Father! No!"**

**Atem shouted angrily and kicked the woman in her stomach. When she dropped him, he ran to the rubble, hoping that his father had survived as he moved the rubble out of his way. He found his father's body, though his head had been the only thing uncovered by the rubble. Once he saw that the body of his father wasn't breathing, he felt tears stream down his eyes. Enraged, he ran at the woman, slamming a brick into her jaw. She snarled and grabbed his wrist and shoved him to the ground, rubbing her jaw. A large scar was now on her face. **

**"You little brat!" She growled, but didn't make a move; other villagers had gathered 'round to see what was happening. He grabbed the brooch from her cloak and stomped on it, smashing it to pieces. With a loud shriek, the woman fell to her knees, shouting out in pain. Her skin started smoking and hissing. Before she could completely disappear, she snapped her fingers and, like the crack of a whip, she disappeared. Due to his father's death, he had been made pharaoh later that same night. He sat glumly as the townspeople celebrated their new pharaoh. **

**Not everyone was celebrating, for he knew that some would accuse him of being the murderer of his father; a reckless teenager like him would of course want the ability to do what he wanted without getting in trouble. What better way than to become the pharaoh? That woman, her scary face, neither would be forgotten. He rubbed the scar on his neck. How many people ****_did _****think that he had murdered his father? As soon as the thought had come to his head, he immediately shook it out. Thoughts like that would only scare him. **

**A year or two had passed ****and Atem had grown to get used to being trapped in the pyramid all day. He had actually started to find it comfier than being outside; whenever he went outside, all eyes would fall on him everywhere he went. And he could swear that he would occasionally hear people still mumbling things he couldn't quite hear, but if they were anything good, he was sure they wouldn't mumble it. Unfortunately, he knew he'd have to leave the pyramid eventually. There was only one way he'd be able to get into the village without causing too much attention. **

**Atem opened up the door a crack and poked his head outside. He pulled the cloak close to him so the wind wouldn't knock it off. As he pulled the top of the hood over his eyes to keep the sun out of them, he walked toward a fruit stand. The moment he went to grab for a fruit, he noticed a crowd starting to form. Not around him, but around something else. Music started playing. The sounds of tambourines and flutes filled the air, accompanied by a couple of drums. Putting a gold coin on the counter, he walked away with the fruit in hand and toward the crowd. **

**Gypsies. A group of them were dancing as the crowd started cheering. With a scoff, he looked away. Gypsies were just beggars dressed in skirts and stolen jewelry. The little boy he had given fruit to a year ago was struggling to get a good look at the gypsies, but the crowd had shut him out. It was then he noticed a dog trying to take the fruit from his hand.**

**He snatched his hand away and looked at a girl who whistled for the dog. Whining, the dog backed up as she looked longingly looked at the fruit. The girl walked up to him, smiling. "Sorry about that. She's a hungry mutt." The dog tilted her head and went back to looking at the fruit in his hand. Atem noticed a little boy stuffing something in his bag. What made him suspicious was that when he realized that he was spotted, the little boy froze in his spot. It was as if something had snapped his reflexes, because Atem had practically jumped over a crowd of people and grabbed the little boy's wrist. **

**"What did you put in your bag?" He asked. Shaking, the boy took out a golden lamp and showed it to the pharaoh. Atem released his wrist and snatched the lamp from the little boy, putting it back where it belonged. A big, burly swordsman stepped up, smiling evilly. **

**"Shall we punish him?" ****The little boy pulled back his hand, holding it. Everyone knew the punishment for stealing was getting your right hand cut off. Before Atem could answer, the girl stepped in front of the swordsman and protected the boy. **

**"No! He's just a little boy. He didn't know better." She said. The swordsman snarled and grabbed the front of her cloak, throwing her satchel to the ground, dropping a bunch of fruit. **

**"And what about you, little missy? That's an awful lot of fruit for one girl. Perhaps _he _may not know better, but _you _do." He slammed her right hand on a crate, raising the scimitar in his hand. With her left hand, she aimed a lucky slap to his face.**

**"I paid for it and I need it for my family." Angrily, she grabbed her satchel that the dog had picked up for her. The burly man went to say something snide, but Atem kept him quiet. He stepped forward, helping her pick the rest of the fruit up. **

**"Let them be. Nothing was stolen, Nanuk." Even though she didn't look at him when he handed the dog's leash to her, she smiled with a, "Thank you, Pharaoh." She stood, resting her hand on his face as she led the boy away. He didn't get a good look at her eyes before, but he caught a glimpse of her milky-grey eyes; she was blind. He watched as she walked away with the little boy.**


End file.
